UNC Lineberger’s annual scientific retreat at the Carolina Inn earlier this month brought together faculty, staff and trainees to learn about the latest research at the cancer center that spanned from the cell to the clinic to the community.
In addition to highlighting the breadth and depth of research at the cancer center, it highlighted opportunities for future research collaborations between scientists and programs.
The day-long meeting featured 15 presentations and concluded with comments by UNC Lineberger Director Shelley Earp, MD, who underscored the importance of the cancer center to the state – UNC Lineberger-led studies include participants from nearly all 100 counties – and the importance of state and donor funding to the cancer center. This latter was especially true the past couple of years, making it possible for the cancer center to recruit and retain more than 100 faculty members during the COVID pandemic.
“I love this meeting, being together with people working on all aspects of cancer research, some on fundamental discoveries in cancer biology, others working to build new therapies from those discoveries, others on testing those therapies in clinical trials, and others working to ensure the best of these are available for all patients who could benefit from them,” said Benjamin Vincent, MD, associate professor of medicine, division of hematology. “It is important to be reminded that we are all united in the goal of helping people with cancer live longer and better lives, that we are not alone in this, and that cancer patients need all of us working together to have the best outcomes in the end.”
